Charges for garden sacks scrapped and add cardboard to be recycled
Recycling in Ealing Borough has never been easier thanks to the council's decision to scrap charges for garden waste sacks and add cardboard recycling to its weekly green box collections.
The schemes, which will be introduced at the end of year, are part of £2.8 million package of new investment to improve environment services in the borough.
Charges for pink garden waste sacks will be scrapped from the end of October and under the new plans garden waste collections will continue to be collected every two weeks from residents' homes throughout the winter.
Residents will be able to pick up free sacks from existing outlets including libraries, ECT and the Perceval House customer contact centre.
Cardboard recycling is expected to start in time for Christmas, enabling green minded residents to recycle boxes and packaging from gifts and new purchases.
The introduction of the new service is expected to cost approximately £450,000 a year although half of the costs are expected to be recouped through avoiding landfill fines. Over the next couple of months recycling vans will be adapted in readiness for the introduction of the new service.
The decision to boost recycling comes as recycling in Ealing Borough hit an all time high - with 839 tonnes extra recycling this June than in the same month a year ago. This is the equivalent weight of 210 fully grown Asian elephants and is the borough's highest ever monthly recycling rate.
Cllr Will Brooks, cabinet member for environment and transport, said, "We are confident that when you make recycling free and easy to do recycling rates will soar. Residents are already showing that they care about the environment by recycling more than ever before, so it is only right that the council does its bit through free sacks, and regular household collections."
August 1, 2006